Full Transcript for 174 - Philippians E2

purpose, right? 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:19.680 Yeah, it's it's God's plan A. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:21.120 It's not there's no plan B. 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:22.959 Yeah, Ephesians tells us that. 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:40.879 But I think what um Kimball was uncovering in his book, and what people are reacting to is um it's just this gap that is so often witnessed in today's American church between profession and practice. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:48.079 Um in other words, you know, you you expect people when they profess something to practice what they preach. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:05:11.279 And sometimes I think what we do see in the American church is this huge gap between what people profess about Jesus and what they actually practice, uh especially in terms of the core teachings of Jesus, no, um especially with things like Christian nationalism and a lot of those movements that are really just so far removed from what Jesus actually taught. 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:16.240 You know, their their practice is diametrically opposed to what Jesus taught. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:18.800 But but I think that those are extremes. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:30.560 Um in reality, you know, church is is messy, but I don't think in most churches we see this this huge gap between profession and practice. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.360 Now we see people struggling to live up to their practice. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:38.720 We see church being messy because, as you pointed out a moment ago, the human factor. 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:41.439 Wherever you got people, you're gonna have a mess. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:52.240 And I think most churches, you know, we we we people try to live up to the teachings of Jesus, but we fail, we're flawed, we're imperfect, we're sinful. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:06:12.480 Um so I think on one level there is this really um evident and and obnoxious failure to be what Jesus calls us to be, but yet on another level, and probably what we experience in most churches, is it's it's just the struggle to be what Jesus calls us to be. 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:23.360 It's not um that we're diametrically opposed in our practice to what Jesus taught, but we just as humans we just struggle to be what Jesus calls us to be. 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:27.839 And and for that, we have to have love, we have to have patience. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.399 I mean, the Philippian church is a case in point. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:38.800 Well, like like everybody else, um man, I uh I think I preach better and I practice. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.199 And that ain't saying much for my preaching or practice. 00:06:43.360 --> 00:06:46.000 Well, I figured since you brought it up. 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:47.759 Well, I'm glad you did. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.040 I'm glad I did. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:07:08.959 But but but going back to your point just a minute ago, Dennis, I I don't know of anybody who had probably more reason to be cynical and jaded and maybe a little disappointed disappointed um than the Apostle Paul. 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:31.439 Um, because when you look at his letters and you look at all the myriad of issues that he's writing to to the different uh churches of the first century, um, you know, because you know part of our restoration plea is you know restoration of first century Christianity, but whenever you look at the churches of the first century, man, there's some messes that Paul's having to deal with in his churches. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:42.319 But Paul is crazy in love with the church, and and I don't know that we see that anywhere more prominently than in the book of Philippians. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:43.600 Absolutely, yeah. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:47.839 Yeah, that's that's very evident from the very beginning of the letter. 00:07:48.319 --> 00:08:03.519 Um, a lot of times we can tell, well, usually, we can tell a lot about how Paul is feeling by the introduction in his letters, you know, the the greeting section in the letters. 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:08.480 You know, for instance, you know, Romans, uh, which a church he had not yet visited. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:10.319 Uh he didn't really know the people there. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:12.560 I mean, it begins rather informally. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:22.879 Um Galatians, on the other hand, I mean, he's it it begins with no thanks, I mean, nothing good at all, because of all of the problems going on there. 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:31.360 And and you read the opening of Galatians, and right away you think, oh my goodness, oh my goodness, this this ain't gonna be good. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:32.559 Well, that's right. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:37.360 Um, and and that's really a typical structure of a first century letter. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:51.840 Um, that you've got this introduction and then this greeting, and and then Paul will usually begin to maybe give you a little preview of some of the things that he's going to um unpack as he goes through the letter. 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:52.480 Yeah, yeah. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:09:07.200 Um and he kind of does that here, and it's consistent in Paul's letters, um, that he's he's going to uh man just have this deep affection for these people that he's writing to. 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:11.360 And that's what's so outstanding about his his greeting in this letter. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:24.240 I mean, this if it's true, and I think it is, as I said a moment ago, that we can tell so much about where Paul is and in in his mind and in his heart by the uh the greeting and the introduction to his letters. 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:33.840 Well, in this letter, we are weak so easily and beautifully see his heart for these people, these believers in Philippi. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:43.519 I mean, this this is a beautiful letter, full of personal um affection for these people, and that comes out very clearly from the very beginning. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:45.679 So, Dennis, lead us in. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:49.759

All right, um, let's start with the first couple of verses, shall we? 00:09:50.720 --> 00:10:09.360 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all God's holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons, grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.360 So Paul has his young man, his young friend Timothy with him. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:16.320 Paul is a is a mentor to Timothy. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.919 He sees himself as uh Timothy's spiritual father. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.679 You know, he refers to Timothy and other places as his son in the faith. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:27.600 But they both have this in common servants of Jesus Christ. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:29.840 To all God's holy people. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:33.759 Uh, I think some other translations have to the saints. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:40.240 Um tell us a little bit about that, uh about what it means to be a saint, Kent. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:47.840 Well, it it is um it is a special designation, but it's not a special designation for certain people. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.600 It's everyone who is part of the kingdom of God. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:11:04.240 That, you know, there's Saint Dennis, there's Saint Sherry, there's there's that that is not a special designation for a special group of people, it is the designation for all of God's people. 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:07.440 Yeah, it's a status for for all of us. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:19.600 Yeah, so that word saints or or holy ones, as we find it in the NIV, refers to to God's act of claiming them and claiming us as his people. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:37.440 You know, we we we tend to associate this word with you know a person's moral character, as you pointed out, that sometimes we want to um uh attach this special designation to people of outstanding spiritual accomplishments, you know, saints so and so. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.279 And so we typically associate that word with moral character. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:50.000 But the primary meaning, and I think we see it here in the text, but the primary meaning has to do with our status as the people of God. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:55.600 All of us are the people of God, all of us are the holy ones of God. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:12:01.679 So our our status in the eyes of God is not something that we achieve, however. 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.240 It is something that we are given. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:13.600 And moral character is the secondary meaning of this word that derives from our status. 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:26.960 In other words, God has called us, you know, God has chosen us to be saints, to be holy ones, and because of that status, there then we are to live out who God has called us to be. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:37.279 And and then I really love the next section of text because um I don't I don't know that you could hear this section of text enough. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.759

Because listen to what Paul talks about. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:45.279 I thank my God every time I remember you and all my prayers for all of you. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:13:00.879 I always pray with joy because of your partnership and the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:06.960 Um, you know, I I uh so many things that that I love about this section. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:16.000 Uh, first of all, it it drips goodness, that it reminds us that right up front, salvation is all God's work. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:19.360 That God started it and God's gonna end it. 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:22.879 And by the way, that's not just how we start our story. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:26.720 Grace is not just how we start our story, it's also how we end it. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:31.039 That grace isn't just about salvation, grace is also about sanctification. 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.360 And here is Paul, and remember he's in jail. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:53.360 Uh, this is part of his prison letters, Philippians is, and this is a context of time where his contemporaries, they know that he's in jail, they may be afraid, but Paul reminds the people that God is going to make it happen. 00:13:53.519 --> 00:14:02.159 And and he is sure, and that God is going to complete all of this, and and Paul is absolutely sure of this. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:04.559 There, there is no doubt in his mind. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:06.960 Also, I think it's really interesting. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:12.320 Paul is stressing the communal nature of the Christian walk. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:18.639 Um, you know, I I heard uh I was listening to XM radio yesterday while I was driving around town. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:20.639 There was an old country song from Tom T. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:21.039 Hall. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:22.240 Love Tom T Hall. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.960 Uh probably one of my favorite old country artists. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:28.720 But this particular song was Me and Jesus Got Our Own Thing Going. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:44.000 And, you know, as I was listening to that song yesterday and thinking about what we'd be talking about today, man, that that that sounds so much like our culture that, you know, people view Christianity as just this one-on-one relationship just with Jesus. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:45.840 That's very individualistic. 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:48.960 Yeah, that is that's very individualistic. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:57.600 Uh, but whenever you look at first century Christianity, every time a person became a believer, they also became a belonger. 00:14:57.919 --> 00:14:58.399 Yes. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.039 And we're part of this church family. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:16.799 And and and Paul in in verses three through six is like, hey, you know, let me remind you, you not only belong to Jesus in verses one

and two, but now let me remind you, you also belong to one another, and you've got this relationship with one another in the local church. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:17.360 Yeah. 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:28.879 And another thing that stands out about this part of the text, um, this this um greeting section of the letter, is this is the first time that Paul mentions joy. 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:38.000 You know, you you did a great job last week of pointing out how many times the word joy appears in this letter and what a significant theme it is in this letter. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:42.960 So for the first time, Paul says, I always pray with joy. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:54.720 And the reason that he prays with joy is because of their past and continuing partnership with him and the gospel. 00:15:55.200 --> 00:16:06.480 From the first day until now, he says, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:15.279 Now, so um, and in what ways were they partners with with Paul? 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:19.360 I mean, they didn't go around with Paul on his missionary journeys. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:26.000 And even while he's here in prison, they are still partnering with him and his gospel ministry. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:40.720 And and one way that they had shown themselves to be partners in his ministry is that they were continually sending financial and material help to him wherever he was, even when he's here in prison. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:47.600 Um I remember I remember being in an elders meeting one time, Kent. 00:16:49.200 --> 00:17:01.279 And um I was expressing just how I had been feeling at the time, you know, over the past couple of years of of my ministry with this group of folks. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:11.759 And and I said that, you know, I've I'm I I've just felt more like a hireling these past couple of years. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:22.160 And one elder spoke up and asked me, he said, but but but Dennis, don't you think elders have the right to hire and fire preachers? 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:30.640 And I replied, Well, actually, no, I don't. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:34.799 And that's a whole nother conversation, not for here. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:45.839 But I went on to share, uh, as I had shared with uh other elders uh and previous elderships I'd worked with, went on to share that here's the way I view ministry. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:52.720 I've made a commitment to devote my life to the ministry of the gospel. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:18:07.359 But what you folks do is you provide me with financial and material support so that I can dedicate myself to the ministry of the word and the gospel. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:12.960 Doesn't make you my boss, it makes you a partner in ministry with me. 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:20.319 And I think that's a much, much healthier view of ministry, and it's based on Paul's relationship to the Philippians here. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:21.359 Well, that's right. 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:34.160 And and one of the things I love particularly about this section of text, too, and and this is something I hope we'll explore as we go along and looking at this, you know, verses one through eleven, is the relationship of gratitude to joy. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:35.839 Yes, absolutely. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:59.839 Because, you know, um three three times in in verses three and four, Paul's gonna talk about, okay, and all my remembrance, always in every prayer, making my prayer with joy, that that you've got this intentionality around gratitude with Paul, and that um and that Paul is and and he mentions these things. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:05.519 It's almost as if, even while he's in prison, he's working on his gratitude list. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:17.599 And and he is mentally thinking through, here are the things that I'm thankful for, and not only can he list them and tell them, but he's telling the people to whom he's thankful for. 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:22.880 And it's almost as if Paul is starting this section of text with his own gratitude journal. 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:30.240 Um and how the gratitude is is not a feeling, but gratitude becomes a practice. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:32.000 Um C.S. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:35.200 Lewis and um I think it's mere Christianity. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:41.200 Uh in one of the middle chapters uh has a a story called Let's Pretend. 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:50.480 And in that he kind of proposes that sometimes we have to choose to act in certain ways even when we don't feel like it. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:57.759 Because God uses our obedience as a way of growing the right attitude in us. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:02.960 So you act grateful and before you know it, you'll feel grateful. 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:08.160 And and that great and that gratitude becomes this practice and not a feeling. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.680 And you see that here with Paul. 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:31.920 And that gratitude becomes the the uh Paul's able to see the world through this lens of grace, because in verse two he talks about, okay, my grace to you, and then uh, you know, we'll read verse 7 that partakers of me in this grace, both in my imprisonment and the defense of the gospel. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:38.960 Um man, Paul is so grateful, he's even able to see his imprisonment as a means of grace. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.000 Yeah, yeah. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:47.519 And and and and I I'm curious about your take on the relationship between gratitude and joy. 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:52.240 Um well, the relationship between gratitude and joy. 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:53.920 I think it's what you just said. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:20:54.799 Oh, okay. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:55.440 Well, thank you. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:56.640 That's very good, Dennis. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:58.799 Thank you for agreeing with me. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:13.279 Um, one thing

about gratitude um is that first of all, it's a response to what someone else does for us. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:17.279 And think about grace in the context of gratitude. 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:25.279 We feel gratitude to God because of the the movement of God toward us and our sinfulness and so forth. 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:38.079 And when we appreciate that movement from someone else toward us, I think it creates this sense of joy that we have about that relationship. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:57.519 Um and and that it becomes a reciprocal thing as we experience you know the gratitude for what others have done for us, creating joy in that relationship, I think it motivates us to want to do for other people as well, which creates in them a sense of joy. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.839 So it it becomes this reciprocal relationship. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:08.319 Well, and and you kind of pick that up in while Paul continues the line of thought and the rest of text that we're dealing with today. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.759 Uh let's start in verse 7. 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:10.799 We'll go through verse 11. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:14.640 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since you have been in my heart. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:20.960 For whether I'm in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:26.480 And God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:44.720 And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:54.160 And man, isn't it crazy in this text and so encouraging how Paul sees the hand of God and everything? 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:56.160 He talks about verse 7. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:04.319 Okay, you're the partakers with me of this grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense of the gospel. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:10.480 Now, remember, Paul is in prison because he has been unjustly put there. 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:16.319 And, you know, Paul could easily say, okay, you know, this is just a result of the broken world we live in. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:18.720 But man, Paul calls it grace. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:28.240 Because Paul trusted God to use even that, that imprisonment, that unjust imprisonment, for good. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:38.960 And it's a challenge to me in my life that, and man, I look I look back at things in my life and and I see things that, man, were not good. 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:41.359 They were not good. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:43.920 And and and that God didn't do them. 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:52.640 But but but but God is still working all of this even in my life, even today, that God uses them for the good.

00:23:53.440 --> 00:24:06.640 And um I heard um preacher named Kyle Eidelman use this example, um, how that you know you have night vision glasses, and how that night vision glasses enable you to see in the dark. 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:16.640 And the night vision glasses doesn't change what's in front of you, it just makes it you able to see the things that you otherwise couldn't see in the darkness. 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:18.960 And how that gratitude is kind of like that. 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:28.000 Gratitude doesn't close your eyes to the bad thing, but it does enable you to see God's work even in the bad things. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:37.680 And man, I I you you you you get that, you get that here with Paul, and and especially as he reminds them, God's going to complete what he starts. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:38.799 Oh, yes. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:39.839 Oh, yes. 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:42.480 Uh, and and that includes you and me. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:48.960 And by the way, not only does that include you and me, but it also includes others that we may go to church with. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:55.599 And the tensions that that we may have, because again, we're we're we're this group of community of people. 00:24:56.079 --> 00:24:56.720 Yeah, yeah. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:04.960 A lot of times you'll see that little sign on um the doors of nurseries and churches, be patient, God isn't finished with me yet. 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:10.480 But but that's actually good theology, uh, you know, and we see that expressed in this text here. 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:25.759 Uh you know, verses seven and eight can't strike me, and and that this is perhaps the the strongest statement of affection that we find in in all of Paul's letters as he expresses how he feels about them in the present moment. 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:30.799 And why is it right for him to feel the way that he does? 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:37.039 Because, again, they are all partners with him in God's grace. 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:41.839 And you know, they have just totally identified with Paul in his mission. 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:55.359 And then in those uh remaining verses that you read, 9 through 11, Paul expresses how he hopes it will be for them that they will continue to grow in their love until the day of Christ. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:26:00.000 He's pointing them to that time in the future when Christ will come back. 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:09.119 In other words, that they will never falter, but that they will remain steadfast and continuous in their in their growth and love. 00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:22.960 But but what does Paul mean when he exhorts the Philippians to let this love abound or overflow more and more with knowledge and depth of insight? 00:26:23.200 --> 00:26:24.720 I find that interesting, can't it? 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:29.119 He doesn't just say, you know, hey, I'm I pray that your love will just keep on growing. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:40.480 But no, it's that I pray

that your love will keep on growing, but that it will keep on growing with knowledge and with discernment and with depth of insight. 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:46.960 Um what's the connection there, do you think? 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:52.480 Um well, I I think that's what Paul genuinely desires for the church. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:59.599 And and I find it so encouraging that he tells them directly, this is exactly what I'm praying for you for. 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:13.279 Um and and I think about my my conversations with people, and hey, you know, you you tell people I'm praying for you, but how often do we tell people what we're praying for them for? 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:15.039 Well, that's true, yeah. 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:29.279 And and Paul is being that direct with them, uh, and before he tells them what they need to do, he tells them, I'm talking to God about you and what you need from God. 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:32.559 Uh, and and he's talking to God about it. 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:45.119 Um and then, okay, um, if you've got more love in your life, you're gonna make better choices, you're gonna live better lives, and you're gonna bear better fruit to the glory of God. 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:52.240 I heard someone say one time that Christians are bands of natural enemies who have come to love one another for the sake of Jesus. 00:27:52.799 --> 00:28:00.480 And man, that I think I think that's what Paul is talking to the Philippian church because again, we'll see some of their issues, we'll see some of their problems. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:02.400 Reminder from last week. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:07.119 Um, Paul talks about joy a lot, but he never really commends them for having a lot of joy. 00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:11.920 And you'll talk, and you talked a little bit about the two sisters that are at odds at the church. 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:15.920 And Paul is like, hey, it gives me joy to pray for you. 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:18.480 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:26.960 Yeah, I find it interesting, Kent, that Paul doesn't pray that they would grow in both love and knowledge. 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:37.920 You know, may your love continue to grow, may your knowledge continue to grow, but rather his prayer is that their love is to overflow with knowledge. 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:42.240 You know, the the knowledge is subordinated to the love. 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:54.400 And it seems to me that he's praying that they will come to understand how they can best love each other the way that they need to be loved. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:58.240 You know, sometimes our love can be simply misguided, don't you think? 00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:01.920 You know, you and I both have experienced that in in ministry. 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:05.279 Um's for you often. 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:06.720 I just let you know that. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.079 Amen. 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:09.359 Yes. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:21.279 Um to understand how we need to

love each other, you know, loving this way will will do a whole lot to heal the divisions there in the church in Philippi. 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:36.480 You know, Ken, sometimes we might do something that we think is showing love for someone when in reality it simply might not be the best thing that is best for them. 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:41.039 Um in fact, it might actually be harming them. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:30:09.359 You know, I I I look back over my ministry and I look at how many times I thought I was loving someone in the best way, and I thought that in my love for them, I was doing for them what they needed, but then what I came to seek was that rather than empowering them, I was enabling their behavior, which is not the best way to love them. 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:16.480 Um so it's love that behaves the right way given the situation and and the circumstances. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:20.960 So I think there's uh a valuable lesson in that for ministry. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:22.079 Absolutely. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:29.839 Because I I think the amount of love in your heart is directly proportional to the happiness in your heart. 00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:43.920 You know, you know, remember the the old acronym of joy that uh I can remember all the way back to Sunday school at Glenwood Drive Baptist Church, that joy is Jesus others in you. 00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:48.319 And and you keep the affections of your heart in that order. 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.000 And when we do that, Jesus others you, we'll have joy. 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:54.400 We'll be able to experience that joy. 00:30:55.039 --> 00:30:58.400 And uh man, it's just uh it's just a beautiful thing. 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:12.640 Um and and and I love um I love how what Paul says when he says, I am sure of this, he that began a good work in you is gonna see it through to completion. 00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:18.720 And man, what what a hopeful message that we need to hear in our churches. 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:21.759 Yeah, and a hopeful message we need to tell one another. 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:23.680 Yeah, God's not gonna give up on you. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:24.880 That's right. 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:33.519 And and um and and Paul says, hey, you know, it may look like I'm in jail, but you need to know the gospel's not in jail. 00:31:34.319 --> 00:31:35.359 I may be in jail. 00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:40.480 And Paul says in verse 12, okay, what's happened to me, you know, has really served to advance the gospel. 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:43.759 I mean, we're not gonna, you know, go that far into text today. 00:31:44.000 --> 00:32:02.400 Um but man, what what a beautiful thing to be able to be reminded of um of God's ability to, regardless of what we're going through, that the gospel is not chained and hope is not chained. 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:03.119 Yeah. 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:19.839 And I love the way that he closes this section of the letter, um, that uh that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and the praise of God. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:29.599 Their very lives are intended to be, you know, acts of praise to God as they bring glory to God and not themselves. 00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:41.279 And you know, when when I stop and think of this, that that my life is to be an act of praise to God, that is both um convicting and inspiring. 00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:42.160 It is. 00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:45.039 Um and I'll I'll close with a story. 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:53.440 Um, you know, I I don't I don't follow political leaders uh much at all, try to stay out of that space. 00:32:53.680 --> 00:33:08.319 Um But I saw an interview not long ago um on 60 Minutes of a former United States Senator, Ben Sass, who is a um former senator, I think from the state of Nebraska. 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:12.319 But he's also more important than being a senator, he's a committed Christ follower. 00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:19.680 And you may have heard that late last year he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and this pancreatic cancer has spread throughout his body. 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:31.920 And the doctors initially only gave him a few months to live, however, with some new uh treatments, but more than what he but but even more providence prayer and and he calls it a miracle drug. 00:33:32.079 --> 00:33:36.640 Um he's been he's been able to to his life has been prolonged. 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:43.599 Um and and you can watch this 60 minutes interview if you've not seen it, you can get it on YouTube. 00:33:44.079 --> 00:33:48.400 Um but but something that he said in that interview, he said, I hate cancer. 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:51.039 But he said, but I'm also grateful for it. 00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:58.319 Yeah because he said it exposed in me the illusion that I was in control, that any of us are in control. 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:09.039 And he says, you know, his diagnosed his diagnosis forced him to tell the truth about his life, that he's not the center of the universe, that he can't atone. 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:21.760 He said, quote, I cannot atone for my own brokenness, and that he has a problem, like we have a problem, that's bigger than anything in the world that can fix, and and that only Jesus can fix. 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:22.239 Yeah. 00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:41.280 Um and he says that while this cancer he has, he hates it, but it has allowed him to have a platform to testify to the world that there is something greater than success, there's something greater than health or relationships or anything life has supplied. 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:49.280 Um and it it it is just a beautiful and and he closes it by saying this. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:35:01.360 He says, um he says, the goodness of God is so real for me and so real to me. 00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:05.039 Um man, what a what a beautiful story. 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:06.480 Oh, it is,

it is. 00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:10.559 Well, before we go, Kent, I I have to go back and look up that that interview. 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:11.679 Yeah, oh it's great. 00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:16.159 Before we go, do you have a takeaway or two from the good folk for the good folks out there? 00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:18.079 A takeaway or two. 00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:24.719 Um hey, um, be patient with one another. 00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:25.440 Oh, yeah. 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:36.719 You know, uh if God, if you hold on to this text that the God who began a good work in you will see it through to completion, then hold on to that hope for your brother or sister. 00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:38.559 Yeah, yeah, that's good. 00:35:38.719 --> 00:35:39.119 That's good. 00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:46.639 I I've I've got uh uh uh I've just got ten or eleven quick takeaways before we oh oh well our time is up. 00:35:46.800 --> 00:35:49.119 Thank you for listening to the promise rope. 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:51.599 Dennis, give me one. 00:35:51.760 --> 00:35:52.880 Take out your one. 00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:58.639 Uh just very quickly, you know, who we are determines how we behave. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:13.039 You know, God has conferred on us uh that status of holy ones, and therefore we are to behave in accordance with you know with with with what we are and who we are to live out our status. 00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:15.039 And and just one other thing. 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:19.280 We can all play a role in the ministry of the gospel. 00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:20.320 We are all called. 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:32.880 I I love it that here at at Providence Road, that we don't talk about uh members of the church, but rather these are we are all ministry partners. 00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:35.760 Mission partners, that's we're all mission partners. 00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:36.800 I I love that. 00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:44.480 And and just quickly, finally, love is never meant to be a static thing, but it's expected to constantly grow and mature. 00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:45.840 Leave you with that. 00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:48.000 Well, it's been great to be with you today. 00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:49.199 Thank you for listening. 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:55.039 Uh remember our um public service announcement that we try to give you often, don't listen while you're driving. 00:36:55.280 --> 00:36:56.079 That's right. 00:36:56.880 --> 00:37:10.639 Uh but it's always good to have you listen and thank you and hope you're blessed as we are blessed by this time in the word and uh and know that before uh any of what we share does anything to you, if anything, it's doing something in our hearts. 00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:14.079 And we love you much and we'll look forward to seeing you next week. 00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:19.199 Thank you for listening to this episode of the Providence Road Podcast. 00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:23.679 We appreciate the support and hope this has been encouraging and thought provoking for you. 00:37:23.920 --> 00:37:27.519 Don't forget to follow us or subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. 00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:28.880 And we'll see you next time. 00:37:29.119 --> 00:37:29.920 Peace.